Pause in Growth of Online Buying

Aug. 17 After a significant gain during the last half of 1999, the influx of new online shoppers has slowed within the last six months.

Twenty-seven percent of Americans now say theyve bought something over the Internet, unchanged since January. Online shopping had jumped eight points in the second half of last year, a boost that may have been linked to the holiday shopping season.

GROUPS Online shopping is least prevalent among older and lower-income adults. Among those age 65 and up, only six percent have made an online purchase; and among those with household incomes under $25,000, just 11 percent have bought online.

But even among young adults, those age 18 to 34, only about a third have made an online purchase. Online buying peaks in two other groups people with $75,000 or more in household incomes (52 percent have bought online) and those with college degrees.

Additionally, only about half as many blacks as whites have bought online (14 percent compared to 29 percent). And online buying is nearly twice as prevalent in metropolitan areas compared to non-metro areas.

METHODOLOGY This ABCNEWS.com survey was conducted by telephone July 26-Aug. 13, 2000, among a random national sample of 1,529 adults. The results have a 2.5-point error margin. Field work by ICR- International Communications Research of Media, Pa.